The Hawaiian gazette., 1887-03-15

melU nave neglected. d oOuhC " PANS
perity which was coming to their very
doors. Great things are to be done
with the London loan, but practical
things might have been done with the
means at our disposal.
The large ships are coming. What
accommodation are we gong to o1er!
WE pointed out last week that our
citizens used too little their right OF
public meeting and free discussion.
What we require is public discussion
of public affairs. In free countries
ike the United States, Great Britain
and the British Colonies, the right of
discussion is freely used. Indeed
both Crown Ministers and opposition
members are only too eager to have an
opportunity of meeting their friends
and opponents face to face, of ex-
planning their views and policy IN
such way that all can understand.
In the discussions that arise, every
man, whether he has vote or not can
exercise his right to speak if he can
get his audience to hear him. In the
free governments we cite it is the de-
sire of the rulers to have such free dis
cussion, good comes of it. Men I'M
derstand their responsibilities. They
learn that government is not for a
class but for the whole; that measures,
which may weigh harshly upon some
members of the State, have to be
borne. because they are for the gen
eral good.
Now this very question of govern
ment for a class is one which needs
thorough ventilation here. Article IL
of the Constitution says:
ARTICLE 10. The King conducts His Gov
ernment for the common good, and not for
| the profit, honor, or private interest of any
| one man, family, or class of men among bis
I subjects.
It is very plain that the Govern
ment which has taken for its watch
word Hawaii for the Hawaiian is
ruling for the benefit of ''class OF
men" As things are managed now,
for a man to be of American or Eu-
ropean parentage, though he be asub-
iect of the realm, though he may have
been born here, though his life is to
be spent here, is to have bar set
against him for any employment I'M
der the executive. Those white men
who still hold Office under the present
Government know that they hold il
merely as stop gaps, till the Govern
ment gets brazen enough toturn them
out and put incompetents in then
place.
Look at such men as Mr.. Kapena
placed at the head of the Custom
| House. OF Mr.. Junius Kaae, holding
the position of Registrar of Public
Accounts, or Mr.. Alapai, the Roa6
Supervisor of the district of Kona
Oahu, and we might cite dozens more
These men are incompetent. 1t is {
farce that is being played. They hole
sinecures, and some hard working
clerk has to do the duty which they
neglect.
This question, discussed at half &
dozen meetings would soon be settled
No government on earth could in tht
face of sturdily and constantly
expressed public opinion dare to defy
it, and these incompetents would dis
appear into the oblivion that they de
serve.
: Questions of roads, of mismanage
= ment of public funds, and the count
= less corrruptions of the Hawaiian Au
tocratic Government would fall unde
the lash of the tongue and wither anC
wilt far more readily than under til,
) lash of the pen. Moreover men would
learn to speak out. We are all read,
enough to speak out in America O
t England and we ought to be fearles
. in speaking out here. We brough
that inheritance with rs from the Ne1
, England States. and from Europe
3 when we came to make this countr
2 our home. We did not come here t
S play at free institutions, we came her
S to thoroughly enjoy them. The Eu
/ ropean and American on these Island
Y is not here on sufferance, he is her
t of right, and he is here to exercise hi
? right, to build up powerful an
e prosperous State, not on effete an
n feudal ideas, but on broad moder
Y principles of popular freedom.
e 1t is the people that make the State
d they who supply the money for cal
7 rying on the government for payin
the salaries of office-holders. Th
d money which comes from their energ
d and their enterprise must be spent 8
?. those who contribute it desire. If th
) machinery by which they are ruled
Y bad, SO much the worse for the m;
Y chinery, it must be so amended thu
) it will work tremendously for the goo
4 of those who keep it going
e Such questions are open for discu
.e sion and should be discussed with tt